IT & Security News
Microsoft 365 Users Must Opt Out to Avoid Price Hike for Copilot AI
Microsoft 365 subscribers are facing a price increase unless they actively opt out of Microsoft’s Copilot AI. The tech giant has announced that its AI assistant will now be bundled into Microsoft 365 Personal and Family plans, leading to higher subscription fees for users who do not take action. While Microsoft claims this reflects added…
Banning Mobiles : Impact On School Children
A recent study by the University of Birmingham has revealed that banning smartphones during school hours does not necessarily lead to improved mental health or academic performance among students. The SMART Schools Study The SMART Schools study, conducted by the University of Birmingham, set out to evaluate whether banning phone use throughout the school day…
Google Lifts AI Ban on Weapons and Surveillance
Google has revised its AI principles, lifting its ban on using artificial intelligence (AI) for the development of weapons and surveillance tools. What Did the Previous Principles State? In 2018, Google established its Responsible AI Principles to guide the ethical use of artificial intelligence in its products and services. Among these was a clear commitment…
UK’s New Cyber Severity Scale
The UK’s Cyber Monitoring Centre (CMC) has now started categorising cyber events using a scale designed to assess the impact and severity of attacks (similar to the Richter scale for earthquakes). What is the Cyber Monitoring Centre? The Cyber Monitoring Centre (CMC) is an independent, non-profit organisation founded by the UK’s insurance industry to enhance…
UK Government Demands Apple Reveal Your Data
The UK government has reportedly ordered Apple to grant it access to encrypted data stored in iCloud by users worldwide, a move that has sparked fierce debate over privacy, security, and government surveillance. IPA The demand, issued under the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (IPA), represents one of the most significant clashes between a government and…
Pollinger’s Productivity : Feb 2025
Meta’s Q4 2024 Results: AI and AR in spotlight Meta closed out 2024 with impressive financial results, reporting Q4 revenue of $48.39 billion, marking a 21% year-over-year increase. The company’s full-year revenue surged to $164.50 billion, up 22% from 2023, while net income skyrocketed 49% to $20.84 billion. These figures highlight the strength of Meta’s…
Trump Says Microsoft in Talks to Buy TikTok
U.S. President Donald Trump has said that Microsoft is in talks to acquire TikTok, the popular social media platform owned by China’s ByteDance. In a news conference, President Trump suggested that multiple bidders are interested, stating, “There’s great interest in TikTok” and indicating that a competitive bidding process could be on the horizon. The comments come as…
Is DeepSeek Safe?
Following the surprise introduction of Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek, here we look at what makes it different, and why concerns are growing over its safety and privacy implications. What is DeepSeek? DeepSeek is a Chinese-developed AI chatbot that functions much like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini. The app exploded in popularity following its release in…
UK Employers Ramp Up Workplace Surveillance
Workplace surveillance is becoming an inescapable reality for employees across the UK, with new research showing that 85 per cent of employers now monitor their staff’s online activity. What’s Going On? While businesses argue that these measures are essential for productivity and security, research indicates that employees are increasingly feeling the strain, leading to stress,…
Google’s New ‘Ask for Me’ AI Feature Calls Businesses For You
Google has unveiled ‘Ask for Me’, an innovative feature that employs AI to phone local businesses for you, to get information such as service pricing and availability. What is ‘Ask for Me’? Google’s ‘Ask for Me’ is essentially designed to streamline the process of obtaining information from local businesses. Instead of making calls yourself, Google’s…
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